WHAT ARE YOU UP TO CAFFREY
by peppe1951
Summary: Summary: Sara Ellis thinks Neal is up to something leaving Peter to clean it up.  It doesn't fare well for Neal. Warning: Disciplining of an adult. Don't like? Don't read! Disclaimer: White Collar belongs to USA.
1. Chapter 1

**WHAT ARE YOU UP TO, CAFFREY? **

Peppe1951

**Summary: **Sara Ellis thinks Neal is up to something leaving Peter to clean it up. It doesn't fare well for Neal. **Warning**: Disciplining of an adult. Don't like? Don't read! **Disclaimer**: White Collar belongs to USA.

**Spoiler**: Unfinished Business

**Chapter 1**

Neal had to leave it there…all of the work in getting it to Sara and he had no choice but the leave it and leave with Peter after Mr. Black's arrest. He didn't know what to do for the moment. He knew that Sara would eventually open it and wonder why the information was sent to her and most likely would backtrack it to that official he and Mozzie had conned at the hanger housing the plane where Kate had lost her life. He was in such turmoil that he didn't even hear Peter speak the first time.

"Neal! Neal?" repeated Peter as his anger was turning to concern when the conman didn't reply to his name.

NEAL!

That time Neal heard and turned to Peter and said, "You didn't have to shout…I heard you."

"Why didn't you answer?"

"Why should I; I know what you want."

"What?"

"A better explanation of why I was at Sara's house when the assassin broke in…good timing by the way," replied Neal as he hoped to defuse the situation.

"I did nothing other than cart him away; Sara had it well in hand. Now back to the question you knew I was going to ask; why were you there?"

"I thought that maybe I could get on her good side by offering her a ride home instead of her having to get a cab," replied Neal. It was the truth…kind of. He just didn't tell Peter the rest of the story.

"And you thought that would be best _by taking one of the agency's cars?"

"Borrowing it…I left a note," replied Neal.

"Well that borrowing is going to cost you a session over my dinning room table," the agent informed Neal.

"WHAT! Why?"

"The car you borrowed was Hughes' and he wasn't amused but I was able to placate him by promising him that you would be punished. He insisted on this method since it seems to work so well on you," replied Peter.

"But Peter…" pleaded Neal.

"Look it is either by my hand or Hughes'…the choice is yours," suggested Peter.

Neal's reply didn't take long…as much as he hated to be spanked he had rather it be done by Peter than by Hughes. The last time Hughes laid in to him he was sore for nearly a week…no way was he going to put his butt in his line of fire. "You…I rather it be you," he clarified as he slumped down in his seat. This is getting worse and worse. Al he wanted was a look at what the 'black box' revealed about Kate's death when the place blew up and now he was going to get a spanking…life wasn't fair.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Elizabeth Burke and Satch looked up as the two men of her life, her husband Peter and the man they both considered to be a pesky kid brother, Neal Caffrey, entered the house arguing. She knew that Neal must be in trouble because for one thing neither man greeted her nor for the other she heard Neal say

"Don't Peter!"

"And what happens when Hughes asks?"

"Tell him that you did it," replied Neal earnestly.

"Lie to Hughes? I don't think so," replied Peter seriously.

Neal was about to argue more when Elizabeth spoke up. "What did Neal do this time?" as she helped Neal out of his suit jacket.

"He took Hughes' car," replied Peter angrily.

"I borrowed it," argued Neal, "I left a note."

"Did you ask Hughes if it would be okay to 'borrow' his car?" Peter asked pointedly.

"Well, no but.."

"No but about it if you didn't ask permission then it is taking…another word for stealing and it could have landed you back in prison from someone other than Hughes. You are so lucky you are going to only get your tail paddled instead of wearing orange jumpsuits again…now get into position,"

Peter added sternly.

Neal turned to El and said, "Can't you do something…talk to Peter about this."

"Yes I can," replied Elizabeth to Neal joy until she added,

"Peter be sure to give Neal a paddling he won't soon forget…he has to understand that the consequences of this action could taken him away from us and back in prison."

"I'll go and turn your bed down, Neal after this you won't want o sit any time soon," El said as she called Satch to her they left Neal to his fate.

"You heard her Caffrey…back over the table…and drop your pants this time," ordered Peter as he retrieved the paddle and stood waiting.

"Peter? No!" pleaded Neal as he looked hopefully at Peter but when he saw it wasn't going to convinced Peter he unbuckled his pants and let them fall to his ankles before bending back over the table.

"Shorts, too."

"P-Peter!" came the strangled cry.

"I mean it Neal; Hughes was quite clear on what he expected from me and he wants to see you hurting when you sit…so drop your shorts and bend over…this isn't going to be pleasant."

El had just arrived at the top of the stairs as she heard the first licks and cries from Neal.

"Owww! Not so hard…ow…ow…oww…Peter! It's not like I stole a painting…ow…ow….oww…oww…owww…owww," yelped Neal in pain.

"Nope you stole a car from Hughes…which is just as bad," replied Peter as he paused surveying the red backside in front of him.

"I only b-borrowed his c-car…owwww…owwwww…owwwww…I l-left him a n-note," replied Neal as he tried to keep the sobs from his voice.

"Unless he said okay that is called stealing, Neal," lectured Peter as he laid the next four licks to Neal's sit spot on his right buttock followed by four to his left sit spot causing Neal to burst into sobs and caused Peter to put the paddle down. Neal's butt was a deep red as was his two sit spots quarantining that Neal would have difficulty sitting for the next few days and should appease Hughes.

Peter pulled Neal up and pulled up his boxers easing the cloth over his flaming backside before pulling the still sopping young man into a forgiving hug, rubbing his back comfortingly as Neal got his emotions back in line.

He clung to Peter as he stepped out of his pants.

"Do you think you can walk?" asked Peter sympathetically.

"Y-yes, if y-you help me," cried Neal.

"Okay then lets take it one step at a time," Peter replied gently as he helped him walk towards the stairs; grimacing whenever Neal cried out as he walked up the stairs. He hated to be the disciplinarian in the family but it was a job he would accept if it kept Neal on the straight and narrow.

El was in Neal's room when they arrived as she hurried to help her husband get Neal ready for bed. She removed his shirt as Peter helped him into bed. Neal winced as his butt touched the mattress before turning quickly on his stomach.

"Are you hungry Neal?" asked El.

Neal shook his head, "No."

"Do you need anything?" El asked as she sat at the edge of his bed and ran her fingers through his hair in a manner to comfort him.

"No thank you," replied Neal sleepily as he fell into a peaceful sleep before them.

El and Peter stayed until they were sure he was out before tip toeing out of the room leaving Satch to guard after their 'little brother."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Will he be okay?" El asked worriedly.

"Yep, he'll be sore for a few days but that paddling should keep him from doing anything that stupid again…or at least for the near future; with Neal you can't be sure that it will have the lasting effect we hope for," replied Peter.

"Now why did he take Reece's car?" asked Elizabeth.

"He said it was to help Sara get her items back to her apartment; but I have to wonder if he didn't have some other motive. He told me once that he had never lied to me…straight out lying. He also admitted that he may not have told me the whole truth all of the time. I think that this time it falls into this category. I think he has told me only part of the truth this time and the rest will appear at a later date; I just hope that it won't earn him another paddling," replied Peter as he cuddled his wife.

The next few days told Hughes that Neal had been punished efficiently for "borrowing "his car without permission as Neal winced when sitting or walked gingerly down the stairs. The first day it was real but by the third day he was acting the part of a well punished individual.

"Stop with the play acting Neal, Hughes isn't stupid he's going to figure out that you have recovered from your paddling and that you are only faking it," ordered Peter. "Now have a sit we have a new case," he added as he handed Neal a folder.

Neal shrugged his shoulders but did as he was told and focused on the case at hand…or at least focused somewhat on the case. The rest of his mind was wondering about the flight information that had been sent to Sara that he had been unable to recover the other night. He was worried that Sara had to have opened the package by now and was probably even now checking it out. He knew he should just admit to Peter what he had done but with the paddling still on his mind…and his butt still a bit sore he wasn't just ready to admit the whole truth just yet.

It took Sara the rest of the week before she discovered that it was Caffrey who had requested the information she now had in her hand. "Now what are you up to Caffrey," she thought to herself. "Why is this information so important to you?" It was then that the real motive of why Caffrey had offered to take her home after that last case…it was to get his hands on this report.

"We'll just see what Peter has to say about this," she eventually decided after having thoughts of what she would like to do to Neal, among them was beating him with her defensive tool, it had done its job when she had confronted that car thief when she first met with Burke and Caffrey. "I bet I could get the information on the Rafael that you stole if I used my little friend on your butt," she thought with a smile but then realized that if she did the information couldn't be introduced at court so she concluded that she would give it to Peter to handle.

"Your butt's going to be cooked soon Caffrey," she said as she packed up the file to take to Burke. She left for the FBI soon afterwards.

Sara was going to turn the FAA package over to Peter but when she arrives and saw Neal sitting at his desk playing with his hat she couldn't help herself but confront him about the package.

"Caffrey what are you up to?" she asked angrily.

Neal looked at her and replied, "I'm waiting for Peter to get off the phone with Elizabeth," as he swirled the hat on his finger.

"I'm serious Caffrey," Sara said a bit louder.

"About what?"

"This," spat Sara as she waved the FAA package in front of Neal's face. "You should have known that I would find out that it was you that was responsible for having this sent to me. You used this whole case as a means to an end didn't you?"

While Peter was finishing his conversation with his wife he noticed the exchange between Neal and Sara and grew concerned as the interchange got louder. "El I've got to close it seems that Neal and Sara have decided not to play nice; I had better put it to a end before Sara hurts Neal…I Love you El," concluded Peter as he brought his conversation to an end.

A loud whistle interrupted Neal's and Sara's argument and they looked up with shock. "Get up here…NOW!" ordered Peter who waited by the door as they two combatants entered his office. He closed the door behind Neal and wait as they each took a chair before he returned to his chair behind the desk.

"What part of 'play nice' didn't you understand, Neal?" he asked his consultant.

"It wasn't me that started it Peter, "replied Neal.

Peter turned to Sara and asked, "Okay, what did he do to set you off?" holding up his hand to forestall Neal's complaint.

Sara pulled the FAA package out of her purse and laid it in front of Peter. "He conned the FAA into sending this to me and conned us all in his attempt to get his hands on it…it almost worked, too…at least the part of getting his hands on it. He had to find out that when I 'died' my mail would be held until my death was investigated so that was the motivation he used to get the case closed. My resurrection brought the case to an end and put the mail in my hands where he 'borrowed' a car to take me home so he could steal it," explained Sara angrily.

Peter had listened as he glanced at the package. He knew what was in it and why Neal was so desperate to get his hands on it. It disturbed him that Neal had used them again to get his hands on it but he could sympathize with the reasoning behind the action.

"Neal, please step out while I discuss this with Sara…and Neal don't leave the building; we will have another discussion about all of this later," he ordered and waited as Neal left.

"Sara what I have to tell you will help you understand why Neal did what he did…it doesn't excuse it but I think you should know," began Peter as he paused to consider his words.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

As Neal walked away he could see Peter talking to Sara and had an idea what that conversation was about. He sat down at his desk to wait and remember.

"So you were saying about Neal," prompted Sara.

"I captured Neal after three years of chasing after him and he was sentenced to four years in prison for bond forgery. His girl friend, Kate visited him weekly up to about five and a half months left of his sentence when she told him goodbye. He set about escaping and did so with about three months left of his original sentence because he was sure that Kate was in trouble. I caught him the second time in Kate's empty apartment; he missed her by two days. He had four years added to his sentence for his escape. He asked that I visit him in a week's time because he wanted something from me."

"What did he want?"

"He wanted out. He didn't want to spend the four additional years and had a proposition for me. He would help me solve white collar crimes for the next four years instead of spend those years unproductive in prison. He would wear a GSP tracking anklet so we could keep any eye on him. After some thought I agreed and here we are and with his help we are solving white collar crimes. He's got a great place to live and a two mile radius when he's not on the job and he is secretly looking for Kate. He has help in that with a close friend helping, Mozzie."

"He would be Caffrey's helper that the FAA security remembers?" asked Sara.

"Probably and Mozzie has helped us too. During his time with us Neal fell under the interest of OPR, the Bureau's version of Internal Affairs. One of their agents was interested in a piece that Neal was thought of stealing. He made a deal with Kate that would give them a new life in its exchange. Neal's anklet was turned off and allowed him to head for the airport and a plane to make their escape. I learned about it and realizing that this wasn't what Neal thought tried to stop him from going. I prevented him from getting on that plane by trying to convince him not to go…anyway to cut it short my interference kept him off the plane when it exploded. Unfortunately Kate wasn't so lucky and died on that plane…the plane that the black box voice recording copy in this package contains. Although I don't condone his methods I do understand why he wants to hear this," concluded Peter.

Sara nodded sadly and asked, "I do too; so what do you think he will find…closure?"

"Maybe; but I bet he wants to know who killed Kate and tied to kill him and hopes that he can learn something from this copy that might give him a clue," concluded Peter.

"So what are you going to do?"

"Talk to him…privately. Sara trust me with this and let me handle this my way," pleaded Peter earnestly.

Sara nodded and left the package with Peter as she left his office. She even smiled sympathetically with Neal on his way out of the building prompting him to return to Peter's office.

Peter looked up as Neal stood by the door and motioned for him to enter,

"Come on in and shut the door behind you," he instructed and waited until Neal was sitting in front of his desk waiting for Neal to say something.

"Peter, I'm sorry…but I had to know what happened," apologized Neal as he kept his eyes downward.

"Neal, look at me," requested Peter quietly.

Neal did as he was asked and once Peter had his gaze said, "I know kid; I know but once again you went about it the wrong way. I could have gotten you this information if you had only asked. You did what Sara said, didn't you?"

Neal nodded, "but it worked. We got the bad guys and the bonds were recovered and Sara even got her 2% recovery fee."

"Yes, it worked out this time but it could have gone in the other direction just as easily," replied Peter. "You have got to learn to follow the rules and every time you don't you will be punished…there is no exception this time. My hands are tied…you tied them by doing it your way instead of the FBI's," scolded Peter.

"It will be worth it if I can listen to that tape…please Peter," pleaded Neal.

Peter sighed but handed Neal the package as he pulled out a tape player and placed it in front of him. Neal tore the envelope apart and put the tape in the machine and moved closer to listen carefully to what was said.

Peter waited and listened along with Neal. The tape wasn't long and Neal looked up with tears in his eyes. "It doesn't really say much…the pilot and co-pilot conversation was cut by the explosion…they were alive one moment and dead the next. At least no one s-suffered-d," Neal said as he wiped the tears from his face.

Peter got up and walked to Neal's side to offer some comfort, "I'm sorry Neal; I really am. I wished I could have done something that would have saved Kate too…I just had no idea that anything like this could happen. I was just trying to save my kid brother from doing something stupid."

"Thanks Peter," replied Neal quietly as he took comfort in Peter's nearness.

"Come on, kid; let's go home. El waiting and she's wanting us home before dark," ordered Peter as he grabbed his coat.

Neal nodded and followed his friend and big brother out he door snagging his own coat and hat on the way home.

It wasn't until they were on the way home that Neal said, "Peter?"

"What?"

"Did you mean what you said earlier?"

"What did I say?"

"About me being punished."

"Oh, yeah," replied Peter happily.

"You don't have to sound so happy about it," Neal said regretfully.

"Sorry…but after El feeds you I'm going to hopefully beat some sense into you," replied Peter sternly.

"Couldn't you punish me in some other way?" asked Neal hopefully.

"I could make you eat Devil's ham sandwiches for a week," suggested Peter with a smirk.

"I rather take the paddling," replied Neal.

"That can be arranged and soon."

"PETER!"

**The End**


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